Don't Give Up On Me
by LittleMissMaryLiz
Summary: When Chloe is six years old two new kids arrive at her school- Simon and Derek, and quiet Chloe soon becomes one of Simon's closest friends. They grow up together, sticking by each other as Derek watches silently. But when Simon gets the chance of a life time and has to leave, Chloe is left behind with Simon's brother whom she never understood, but finally gets the chance to.
1. Chapter 1

**So the characters start off at six and seven and the story will progress until they're seventeen and eighteen. There's an eleven year gap and there will be chapters for some of the ages in between. I am not entirely sure how long it will be, but I have the plot and all the key points I want to use so it could be pretty long (at least that's my goal.) I really want to hear your opinion on this so I know what I am doing wrong. Criticize as you see fit, you are entitled to your opinion, feel free to exercise that right.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All rights to Kelley Armstrong.**

Aunt Lauren walked me into my classroom, my school bag in hand. She knelt to my level and gave me a hug.

"Use the teacher's phone to call me if you need to come home," she said. "Alright sweetheart?"

I nodded and she handed me my bag. Aunt Lauren was referring to the episode I had had last week during recess. I had walked into the principal's office sobbing, saying I had fallen and torn my dress. Which was true, but I didn't normally cry about things like that. It was just that that day had marked one whole year since the death of my mother, and my torn dress had triggered a nonstop flow of tears I had been keeping in all day. Aunt Lauren had tried to come get me, but couldn't leave work before school let out. So, I spent the remainder of my day wandering aimlessly around the school library with Principal McAllen; occasionally picking out a book and ruining the pages with renewed tears.

But today I had made a promise to myself not to let that happen again. I hugged Aunt Lauren goodbye and put my bag in my cubby. All the other kids were in their seats already, chattering amongst themselves. I walked to my desk in the corner. I sat in a group with my three best friends- Nate, Liz, and Rae. All three were huddled together- Liz was prattling on about her new dress her father bought her.

"It's _so _pretty. Daddy got it for me because he knows green is my favorite- oh, Chloe!" Liz said when she spotted me. "Chloe, Chloe, Chloe!"

I waved and plopped down in my chair. Liz looked at me excitedly, bouncing up and down.

"Look what daddy bought me!" She hopped up and spun around in her new bright green dress, her pigtails almost hitting Nate in the nose once or twice.

"It's pretty," I said enthusiastically.

"I think blue would be prettier," Rae chimed in.

"But I don't like blue, I like green," Liz huffed.

"But blue is pretty, like the ocean!"

Liz pondered that thought, tapping her foot and rubbing her chin as a sign she was in deep concentration.

"It's just a dress," Nate said.

Liz and Rae looked at him as if he were crazy.

Nate mumbled 'girls' under his breath and I laughed. "So, Chloe," he said, turning to me. "Guess what, guess what, guess what!"

"What?"

"My birthday is in a month and my dad is going to take us to laser tag!" He spent the next five minutes talking about the joys of laser tag, hardly stopping to breathe. I didn't mind though. I wasn't very talkative because I had a stutter, so when Nate was in the zone, I felt no need to insert my opinion.

By the time the bell rang, our teacher was nowhere to be seen. None of the other students seemed to mind much, though. Nate sure didn't. He continued on with his explanation disregarding the bell officially starting class.

Nate became a little too excited, and as he was launching into a completely different spiel about how his brother was flying in for his party, when the resonating sound of a familiar voice quieted him down.

"Hello everyone," our teacher called from the doorway. Nate shifted in his chair to get a better look. "Today I have a special surprise for all of you."

The class grew excited and started questioning our teacher about the surprise. She clapped both of her hands together in a rhythm that the class soon mimicked- her way of informing us we were supposed to be quiet so she could talk.

She smiled at us and walked into the room. Taking her place in the doorway was a boy that looked about the same age as me. He had light hair and dark brown eyes. The entire class gasped and buzzed with excitement. They leaned over to their friends' desks to parley the news of the new kid to each other- feeling the need to inform one another of their new classmate as if they didn't have eyes to see him for themselves.

Our teacher clapped her hands and again, the class copied her.

"Would you like to tell the class your name, dear?" She asked the boy.

He smiled warmly and nodded his head. "Hi, I'm Simon!" He waved his hand at everyone enthusiastically.

"Hi Simon," the class responded. The boy's smile grew.

"Simon just moved here from Rochester. His brother is in Mrs. Smith's class. I want you all to be on your best behavior and be nice to both of them since moving to a new place can be very hard." She turned to Simon and stooped down to look him in the eye. "How about we put you in the empty chair over by Amber," she pointed to Amber Long, who raised both hands and waved them in a big circle. "She can grab you a workbook and I will take your bag and place it in your new cubby, okay?"

"Yes ma'am," he said politely.

She smiled at him and Simon took a seat over by Amber. All of the kids gathered around him and bent his ear with introductions and invitations to sit with them during lunch. Nate, Liz, Rae and I got up from our seats to join them. I hung back a little as they made their way to the front of the group.

"Hi, I'm Elizabeth," Liz said. "But I go by Liz."

Simon smiled and shook her outstretched hand. He didn't seem perturbed in the least by all the attention he was receiving- despite being at a new school.

"This is Nate and Rae and Chloe," she pointed to the three of us. Simon waved and another kid- Austin- shouldered his way to the front of the group and introduced himself.

We heard clapping from the front of the classroom and scrambled back to our seats and repeated the rhythm. Our teacher had us pull out our phonics workbooks and the rest of class up until lunch was spent learning and practicing letters n through r. I liked writing my letters so it was no surprise when I finished my worksheet before everyone else. Although, that may have had more to do with the fact that no one could concentrate with Simon around.

When lunch time came, all the kids followed Simon out to the playground and gathered around the bench where he ate his lunch. It was really comical how they swarmed him, but, again, he didn't seem to mind much. Liz and I went to the swing set and Nate and Rae went to bug Simon. When the first graders came out for their lunch break, most of the kindergarteners around Simon left to go find his brother- who was in Mrs. Smith's first grade class, according to our teacher. A whole bunch of first graders came to Simon's side. Liz walked over to them and came back to the swings with a confused expression on her face.

"They said the new boy is mute," she said.

"He can't talk?"

She nodded. "Mrs. Smith asked him to say his name and he just shook his head and sat down. They said he doesn't look like Simon either. He has black hair and is _really _tall."

I frowned and stood up, scanning the playground, looking for the new boy. It didn't seem too hard, in theory. Just look for the kid I didn't know that had black hair. It was actually _much_ harder than it sounded since I didn't know any of the first graders. So I tried something else. I figured if he was mute then he wouldn't be with playing anyone. Solution; look for the kid all by himself. Most of the kids were clustered around Simon, so the playground was almost barren- save the kid off by himself sitting under a tree.

"I think I see him," I said. I turned towards Liz and saw that she had already made her way back to Simon's little huddle. I sighed and started towards the tree. The boy did have black hair, but I couldn't tell how tall he was, since he was sitting. His hair fell into his face and in his hands he had a book.

_He could read?!_ I was stunned. Aunt Lauren said that I wouldn't be able to read until the end of first grade. It was barely September, and this first grader was already reading _chapter books!_ I was very impressed.

I tapped his shoulder. He looked up at me with an annoyed expression on his face. Liz had been right- he didn't look like Simon. Simon had blonde hair while this other boy's hair was black as ink. Simon's eyes were dark brown- warm and inviting; this new boy had piercing green eyes that were cold and judging. I flinched a little but regained my composure and sat down with him. He arched an eyebrow at me and scooted away.

"H-how long h-h-have you been a-able to r-read?" I spoke slowly to see if he knew how to lip read. He didn't respond (whether it was because he couldn't lip read or because of my stutter, I wasn't sure) and I didn't really know what else to say after that. He wore the same cold expression despite my attempts to be friendly.

The teacher's shrill whistle cut through the tension like a knife. The whistle mean that it was time for the kindergarteners to go in. I waved at the new kid and ran into the school.

In class, the teacher started us on our numbers, which I could not figure out for the life of me. As I was working on the numbers that went up to fifteen, a shadow passed over my paper. I looked up and saw Simon standing by my seat.

"Hi," he said.

"H-h-hi" I mumbled. Simon gave me a funny look and my face grew red. Because I went to speech therapy for my stutter it had gotten better, but it normally came up when I was scared or nervous. I guess I should add talking to new kids to that list.

Simon brushed it off and smiled at me, holding out his hand in greeting. I shook his hand.

"Were you talking to my brother?" He asked.

"I-I," that wasn't really a question I had expected. I had expected something more along the lines of 'How long have you gone to school here?' or 'Can I sit with you?' Something at least pertaining to the school he's never been to before today. "H-he looked l-lonely."

Simon smiled at me and then made his way back to his desk. I stared at his back as he walked away.

_These kids are all crazy._

After school, Aunt Lauren came pick me up. I stayed with her when my dad was away on business- which seemed to be more and more often nowadays. When we got home, Aunt Lauren started making dinner while I worked on my homework. I had finally gotten to fifteen and tried counting higher even though that wasn't assigned. To be honest, it was a lost cause, but I used it as an excuse not to talk, to just think.

I felt kind of bad that Simon's brother couldn't talk. Dad had said that most people like that also couldn't hear. They had to lip read and use sign language.

When dinner rolled around I didn't feel like eating, so I just sat in my chair and poked at my spaghetti with my fork. Aunt Lauren didn't seem to notice this at first.

"Mrs. Ballou from across the street is going to bring her dog over," she said. "Her dog will be staying with us for a little bit while she is away."

I mumbled something unintelligible.

"Is everything alright, Chloe?" Aunt Lauren asked.

"Yeah," I said, not looking up. "We got a new student today. And he has a brother in first grade."

"Oh, that's good," she said, rather relieved that it wasn't anything serious. "Are they nice?"

"Well, Simon is nice. He is in my class. But his brother doesn't talk to anyone. He's mute and sits by himself at lunch."

"Oh," Aunt Lauren mulled that over as I pushed my plate away. I turned to hop off my chair.

"Hold on dear," she said. "Are you sure that this boy is mute?"

I thought about it and nodded. "Yeah, and I don't think the boy can lip read either." I had to keep calling him 'the boy' because I had no clue what his name was. I had been ready to leave the table again when an idea struck me. I paused and turned to my aunt. "Aunt Lauren, how do you say my name in sign language?"

Aunt Lauren laughed a little. "You can't really sign the name 'Chloe.' A deaf person would have to give you a sign that you could do."

I gave her a confused look and she laughed.

"Here, I can show you how to sign the letters that spell your name."

For the rest of dinner, Aunt Lauren taught me how to sign the letters of my name. When I was certain I had them down, Aunt Lauren went upstairs to draw my bath.

I stayed awake for an hour after my bedtime signing the letters to ensure I didn't forget them come Monday. I wasn't looking forward to waiting the entire weekend before I could see the new kids again, but all that soon dissipated as I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

The next day, Mrs. Ballou brought her dog over. She was tiny. She was a brown and black shitzu with short, stubby legs. She didn't bark; she made annoying yipping sounds. Mrs. Ballou brought a special dog bed for her to sleep on, with the name '_Pumpkin'_ embroidered on it- however, she much preferred to climb into my bed and sit right in the middle, which meant I had twist my body at almost impossible angles to fit on the bed without crushing her.

I woke up the next morning and would have basked in the fact that it was a Sunday- if I wasn't twisted on my bed like a pretzel. The dog was gone- I could hear her yipping from down the hall. I lifted myself onto my elbows. My legs were still asleep, as if they hadn't gotten the memo that it was morning yet. I could hear Aunt Lauren calling me. I got up and stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Good morning dear," Aunt Lauren said. She walked by and kissed my head.

"Ew," I snapped my hands over heads and ran to the table. She laughed and walked over to the stove, the yippy dog trailing her.

"Pancakes?" She asked.

I nodded my head, keeping my hands locked in place. She laughed again.

Over breakfast, Aunt Lauren got a phone call and walked to the living room. I could hear her arguing with the person on the other end of the line in the living room. She sighed and came back, telling me that she needed to go back to work to sign off on some papers- which would take ten minutes, tops, she reassured. She gave me rules and told me to stay inside and left for work.

She was gone for more than ten minutes. When twenty had ticked by, I heard a knock on the door.

"Chloe?" A voice said. "It's Mrs. Tennyson, from across the street, your Aunt asked me to stop by."

I looked at the door and contemplated opening it. It sounded like Mrs. Tennyson, so I figured it must be her. I opened the door- being careful not to let Pumpkin escape- and found a tall, plump lady standing on the porch.

"Hi," she said. "Your Aunt wants me to look after you while she is at work."

"Why isn't she here?" I asked, propping my hands on my hips.

"She had some things come up at work. But don't worry, she should be back soon. In the meantime," she reached into her purse and pulled out a box, "I brought cookies."

I let her in, and she bent to pet Pumpkin. Pumpkin was not all too fond of that and tried to twist out of the way. Mrs. Tennyson picked her up and started to smother her, gushing about how cute she was. Pumpkin looked over her shoulder at me and I stuck my tongue out at her.

Mrs. Tennyson decided that we should play a board game, so I grabbed down 'Sorry' from the cabinet. She let me beat her while she snacked on the cookies she brought. When lunch time came around, she was complaining of feeling sick. When I pointed out it might have been because of the cookies, she waved me off and popped another in her mouth. Pumpkin was yipping nervously at the door and Mrs. Tennyson and I walked outside so Pumpkin could do her thing. Mrs. Tennyson sat down on one of the porch chairs and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep in a matter of minutes. I sighed and followed Pumpkin to the fence where she was precariously sniffing away at a tall bush.

"That," I said, pointing back at the porch, "is what we humans call a sugar crash."

She kept sniffing, nudging a partially hidden stick in the brambles of branches. She was able to get it moved when I realized that it was way too wide to be a stick- it was a plank of the fence. She forced the plank aside and squeezed herself through a hole she had created.

I gasped and flung myself forward, but she was already long gone. I pushed the plank open and was able to make an opening big enough for me to fit. I paused, halfway through the gate, looking back at Mrs. Tennyson. I tossed through my mind different scenarios of what would happen if I went back for her, but when I heard Pumpkin's little yips from the direction of the woods, I sprinted away from the house. There was a small wood that separated Aunt Lauren's neighborhood from the next, and from the next was a patch of wood being cut down and bulldozed. I scrambled through the trees, following the sound of Pumpkin's yips.

Dead leaves crunched under my feet. Cold air cut through my jacket. The floor of the wood was clear of underbrush and most of the branches on the trees weren't any closer to the ground than at least five feet. This should have made it easy to run through, but there were so many trees that it was impossible to run in a straight path. Pumpkin was visible through the trees, running out to the street of the next neighborhood.

When I came out of the wood I could see her running up the side of the road, towards the bulldozers. She skirted around the orange fencing of the construction site and behind the houses of the next neighborhood. I followed her, as quickly as I could. I came to the street and looked both ways, seeing no cars. I ran forward and followed Pumpkin. She was cutting through unfenced backyards, narrowly missing a sand box full of small children. I ran through the yards, stuttering apologies as the kids stared.

I ended up at another street separating us from another neighborhood. Again, I checked for cars and, seeing none, began to cross. As I was halfway across, a car turned onto the street. I stopped, unable to move my feet in pure terror. A black car whipped around the turn and skidded to a stop. I could see a man though the windshield, his eyes wide. He opened the driver's side door and stepped out, gawking at me. I sped across the street and into another patch of wood before he could say a word.

I could see Pumpkin again. She had stopped to sniff a presumably dead animal in the dirt. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and shook myself. When Pumpkin noticed me she shot off like a bullet, weaving her way through the trees. I chased her behind multiple houses when she suddenly stopped running and steeled herself. She turned toward a fence, her lips curled to reveal small white teeth as she snarled. I was walking up behind her, too afraid to grab her because of her sudden change in behavior. She prowled towards the fence, growling and finally letting out a real bark- or, something close to it.

A head shot up from behind the fence. I stopped and waited for whatever punishment would befall me for trespassing behind this person's yard. This head, however, had yet to notice me and was staring directly at Pumpkin. I heard more growling and wondered if there was another dog, but all there was was a little head with a black mop of hair. Pumpkin tore off towards the direction of Aunt Lauren's house, and I was too tired to give chase. I bent over, placing my hands on my knees, and started panting. The head turned towards me then. Big green eyes glared at me from under black bangs, and it took me a moment to finally connect the face to previous encounters I had filed away in my head.

This was Simon's brother.

**So, yay or nay?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys. So, here is the second chapter... Ta-da! I am so sorry it took me so long to upload this. My account was being all screwy and wouldn't let me log on. Terribly sorry. Critique as you see fit.  
**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. All rights to Kelley Armstrong.**

"H-hi," I mumbled.

Simon's brother scowled at me.

_He can't talk_, my inner voice scolded. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._

"U-um, I um-" I gawked at the boy, momentarily forgetting why I was here. His eyebrows raised, a mild expression of amusement on his face that he quickly hid behind a glower. That look kick started my brain and I remembered our encounter on the playground and Liz telling me Simon's brother was deaf. I brought my hands up to sign the letters of my name, never once breaking eye contact despite the hostility in his gaze. I had gotten to the L when my brain stuttered, my hands stopping in midair. I forgot how to sign the rest of my name! All the letters I had spent hours drilling into my head had completely vanished. I tried to grasp at the remnants of the memories of the signs, my hands waving around wildly as I tried to remember what Aunt Lauren had taught me.

"What are you doing?" Asked a voice.

I paused. I dropped my hands and stared up in the direction the voice had come from in shock.

The boy talked. He _talked_. Sure, he still adorned an aggressive glare, but that didn't matter right now. He talked! I tried to think of something to say after that. I figured he wouldn't take to kindly if I informed that the whole school had dubbed him mute.

"Derek," called another voice from behind the fence. Simon's brother turned his attention from me before I had recovered enough to speak. He cast one last glance in my direction, then disappeared behind the fence.

I stared at the empty space above the fencing and scrunched my nose in confusion. I was certain there would have been some kind of punishment for trespassing behind his yard, but Simon's brother seemed to have forgotten I existed when the other person showed up. I walked up to the wooden fence and climbed up onto one of the railings, standing on my toes so I could peer over the edge. The yard enclosed in the fence was lackluster and empty. It had a stone walkway leading up to a big brick house and standing in the back doorway was a tall man in a business suit. He was talking to the boy.

"Hey dad," the boy- Derek- said.

"Hey sport," said the man, grinning. "Simon sacked out on the couch; can you wake him up while I start dinner?"

Derek nodded and then waved his hand for the man to lean down. He raised an eyebrow but crouched down, his warm smile never leaving his face. Derek whispered something in the man's ear and pointed behind him. The man looked at the fence and locked eyes with me, his brows bent questioningly. I gasped.

His face was vaguely familiar, the shape of his jaw, the laugh lines around his eyes, and it took me a moment to realize he was the same man that was in the black car. The same man that almost ran me over. His smile fell and the same wide-eyed expression he donned in the street me slid back onto his face.

I let out a yelp and jumped off the rail of the fence. I curled up and sat on the ground, getting as close to the fence as I could, hoping that if he looked over the edge, he wouldn't see me. It wasn't my best plan, but it worked for Matilda when she hid under a window, and there was no way I was going to be running any time soon after my little game of chase with Pumpkin.

I heard footsteps against stone and saw a section of the fence come unhinged. The man stepped out of the gate but didn't come any closer than that. I looked at him and tried to apologize for peeking over his fence, but all that came out was a jumbled, stuttered mess.

The man smiled- the same smile he had on in the yard, as if he were addressing Derek, not a complete stranger. "Slow down," he said, calmly. "Take a deep breath."

I did as he said and he moved forward, cautiously, as if I were a bunny he had found and didn't want to scare off. When he was right in front of me he asked, "Can I sit?"

I nodded and he crouched down, balancing on the balls of his feet.

"Did you come here with your parents?" He asked.

I tried to speak but, again, I couldn't get the words out. The man told me to take in another breath and waited patiently for me to regain my bearings. I explained to him the situation with Pumpkin and Aunt Lauren and why I was peeping over his fence as best I could. Despite my aggravating stutter, he listened intently. He then asked if I had been the girl he almost hit in the street. I nodded, shivering as a gust of wind blew by.

The man noticed and said, "How about we get you inside before it gets dark. We can call your aunt from the home phone and sort all of this out. Would that be alright?"

I nodded again and he helped me up, then led me through the gate and into his house.

Once inside I followed him through the living room inhabiting a couch and crowded with boxes and miscellaneous objects strewn about the floor.

"Sorry for the clutter," the man said, sheepishly. "We haven't had time to unpack yet."

_We?_ It took me a minute for that comment to click. He was Derek's dad, which meant he was also Simon's dad, and they would most likely be helping him unpack. I really looked at the man now and saw that he looked a lot like his sons. He had the same warm grin and brown eyes that Simon had, and the same black hair that Derek had. Though the man's sons didn't look anything like each other, they looked like him.

The kitchen was much less cluttered than the living room. The whole room was white and dull- white tiles, white walls and cabinets, and a white island with three stools. Seated at two of them were Simon and Derek. Simon had a blanket curled around his lanky frame and was rubbing his eyes. Derek looked at me over his shoulder and hopped off his seat, backing into a corner with his arms wrapped across his chest. At this, Simon frowned and turned towards me. I hid behind his dad.

He noticed me anyway and grinned.

"Hey Chloe!" He said.

His dad turned around to me and I waved.

"H-hi Simon," I said bashfully.

He turned towards his dad. "This is the girl I told you about. The one that talked to Derek." He turned and pointed to Derek, who was still huddled in the corner.

His father saw Derek's odd behavior and went to calm him. _Apparently Derek doesn't like strangers_, I thought, even though I technically wasn't a stranger.

"Can Chloe stay for dinner?" Asked Simon, addressing his father. He was talking about me as if I wasn't in the room with him and I felt a little out of place. I was out of place, when I thought about it. This was Simon's house and he barely knew me. It didn't really matter that we had spoken before, or that we went to school together. We weren't close at all. Despite the fact that his dad had invited me inside, I still felt like I was trespassing.

Simon's dad said a few things to Derek, who nodded and climbed back into his chair, before he answered Simon's question.

"Well, first we are going to have to call her Aunt and get a few things straightened out," he said, then turning to me, "if that is okay with Ms. Chloe."

I nodded and climbed onto a seat next to Simon.

"Chloe," said Simon's dad, "do you know your aunt's phone number?"

I nodded. Aunt Lauren had made me memorize it after the incident at school last week. I gave him the number and he picked up the land line and grabbed a frozen pizza out of the freezer.

"What is your Aunt's name?" He asked, punching in the numbers.

"Lauren F-fellows."

He nodded as person picked up on the other end.

"Hello, Ms. Fellows," he said, setting the timer on the oven and retreating to the living room.

I looked over at Simon and Derek. Simon had rubbed the last bit of sleep from his eyes and was now bouncing with excitement.

"Do you live around here?" Simon asked.

"N-no. I-I was watching my n-neighbor's d-dog and s-she ran a-away, so I ch-chased her."

Simon gasped. "What kind of dog? Dad says we can't get a dog because Derek doesn't like them." He cast a pointed look at his brother.

"Sh-she's a shih tzu."

Simon gasped and launched into a large spiel about an old chihuahua their neighbor in Rochester had. Apparently, he had run up to nip at Simon heels and when Derek stepped out of the car the dog had ran yipping back across the street. Simon's dad came walking back into the room as Simon finished his story and had started poking his brother in the shoulder, muttering under his breath that he needed to start making friends.

"Chloe," Simon's dad said, "your Aunt wants to talk to you."

I grabbed the phone from him. "Hello," I said.

"Chloe! Oh my word, I'm so happy you're alright," she said. "Why wasn't Mrs. Tennyson watching you?"

"She was," I said. "She brought cookies, but she ate too many and fell asleep on the porch."

Aunt Lauren was quiet and for a second I had thought she hung up the phone. I was taking the phone away from my ear when I heard her muffled voice again. "Chloe," she said, speaking slowly and in a calming tone (that wasn't at all effective). "Did you know that Mrs. Tennyson was diabetic?"

"What's diabetic?"

"Me!" Simon piped up. Simon's dad, who had been listening to the phone call from his place by the oven, snapped his head up.

"Okay," Aunt Lauren said. "Chloe, I really need to talk to Mr. Bae please."

"Who's Mr. Bae?"

"And that would be me," Simon's dad said. He took the phone from me and said a few words to my aunt- nothing that I could get any meaning out of. Mainly just "yes ma'am." He hung up the phone just as the oven timer went off, sounding a blaring alarm that threw Derek into a fit. He brought his hands to his ears to muffle the sound and dropped his head onto the island. Simon brought his hands up to his ears, miming Derek with a cheerful grin.

Mr. Bae flipped a switch and the beeping stopped. He braced his hands on the edge of the counter, mulling over whatever he and my aunt had discussed. He turned toward me and his sons, that same smile he had on in the yard on his face. The expression seemed so natural on him, like he was incapable of frowning. I was beginning to wonder where Derek got his usual scowl from. Mr. Bae grabbed the pizza out of the oven and brought it to the island.

"Chloe, your aunt should be coming around in another hour. She is going to pick you up." He grabbed four plates from a box near the entryway of the kitchen. "Do you like pizza?"

I smiled. "Pepperoni is my favorite."

Mr. Bae chuckled and grabbed a pizza cutter. "Simon says that you are in the same class as him."

I nodded. "Our teacher's name is Mrs. Choate."

"Yeah," Simon said. "She is nice. But she smells weird, like the smoke pit at Andrew's."

Mr. Bae nodded.

"Mrs. Choate," Simon continued, "is really big." He swung his arms around in a big circle and puffed his cheeks out.

"Simon!" Scolded his father. His tone was harsh but that grin never left his face.

"Wh-what's your t-teacher like D-Derek?" I blushed as my stutter returned. I had become comfortable around Simon and his father, an affect of their abundant friendliness. Derek, however, refused to treat me in such a way, despite the openness of his family. He just looked at me, not in the same cold way as when we first met, but with more of an annoyed look that said he didn't feel like talking. I guess that could be considered an improvement.

"Derek is in Mrs. Smith's class," Simon said. "She called after we got back from school about getting Derek a translator," he looked at his dad. "What's a translator?"

His dad rubbed his neck, but before he could talk, I interrupted.

"Like a deaf translator?" All three of my hosts looked at me and I continued. "L-Liz told me Derek was deaf so I learned how t-to sign my name because I thought he couldn't talk," I said, talking quickly as heat rose to my cheeks.

Simon still looked a little confused; Derek just acted as though he didn't even hear and ate his pizza. However, Mr. Bae, with a small smile, was studying me from across the island, curiosity evident.

"Derek isn't deaf," Simon said as a matter-of-factly. "He just doesn't like to talk to anyone."

"Oh," I mumbled, blushing cherry red and taking a bite out of my pizza.

Mr. Bae chuckled and said with a grin, "Don't be upset. Even the teacher hadn't realized. It's alright, Simon still says you're the smartest kid in first grade."

I wrinkled my nose at this incredulously. "I'm in kindergarten," I said.

Simon and his dad stared at me again, mirroring each others bewildered look. Their eyebrows inched higher up their forehead and both bit the inside of their cheeks. It was comical how similar they acted.

"I'm in first grade, with Derek," said Simon.

"No you're not. You're in Mrs. Choate's class. With me."

Simon looked ready to further his argument when his father interjected, "These things always happen with moving." He turned to Simon and said, "There must have been a mix up with the paperwork," then to me, "Simon is supposed to be in first grade with Derek. I guess we're going to have to go down and get that straightened out."

"Does that mean I'll be in Derek's class?" Asked Simon excitedly.

Mr. Bae laughed. "We can hope."

I settled back onto my stool as Simon and his father talked. So, Simon was leaving? The idea made me sad. I had really begun to like Simon and hoped I would be able to get to know him a little better. But if he was going to first grade he wouldn't be in my class. Sure, I could see him at the end of lunch but that wasn't the same. I wouldn't see him near as much..

Simon saw my dejected look and said to his father, "Can I take Chloe with me?"

Mr. Bae laughed again. "No, I don't think that would be possible."

Simon looked from his dad to me and I could see the gears turning in his head. "Well, can she come over again?"

"Lets see what happens when Ms. Fellows gets here." Mr. Bae asked Simon another question about Mrs. Choate, and Simon happily filled the silence as we ate. I didn't say anything else over dinner, and when Mr. Bae asked us if we wanted to watch a movie, I just nodded my head. He put on the movie in the living room, moving boxes and bubble wrap off the couch for us to sit. The movie wasn't one I had seen before, but I watched as the characters were introduced and saw the main plot unfold and quickly forgot about Pumpkin and Derek and Aunt Lauren.

We hadn't gotten too far into the movie before there was a rapping on the door. Mr. Bae opened the door to reveal my rather worn aunt. She looked tired and dreary but couldn't hide her relief when she saw me on the couch unharmed. I forgot the movie and ran to her side with Simon on my heels.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" She said bringing me into a hug. "You're not hurt are you?"

"No, b-but..."

Aunt Lauren's eyes widened. I tugged her sleeve and she leaned down. I brought her ear closer to me and whispered, "I lost Pumpkin."

She let out a shaky breath. I explained to her how Pumpkin had escaped and how I chased her. She simply nodded.

"It's okay dear," she said. "I found Pumpkin under the porch and brought her inside."

I frowned. "Why did you go back home without me?"

"I needed to get Mrs. Tennyson home. We don't want her sleeping on the porch now do we?"

I thought that over, the silence stretching between us. Simon, who had taken a place at his father's side, now saw the perfect opportunity to say something.

"Can we ask her now, please please please?!" He asked.

Mr. Bae chuckled and said to my aunt, "Ah, yes, Ms. Fellows, Simon was wondering if Chloe would like to come over again, seeing as how busy you are. And, um," he bit off his sentence and rubbed his neck. "And since Ms. Tennyson may not be available for a while. We would love to have Chloe over as long as it is alright with you," he gestured between me and my aunt.

Aunt Lauren thought that over and looked at me. I nodded and she told Mr. Bae that it sounded like a wonderful idea. They started working out times for Friday afternoon while Simon grinned happily. I didn't say anything. I watched as the two adults talked with Simon bouncing eagerly at their side. I looked back at the couch and saw Derek still there, watching us with an emotionless front. I couldn't help thinking he felt a little secluded.

I pulled on Aunt Lauren's sleeve. "Do you want to meet Derek?"

Aunt Lauren raised an eyebrow. I pointed back to the couch, Derek frozen in his seat.

"That's Simon's brother," I said.

Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked at him.

"O-oh, and he, uh, isn't mute."

She nodded and Mr. Bae cleared his throat. "Derek, come and meet Ms. Fellows."

He slowly climbed down from the couch, bringing his hands to chest like he had when I had first arrived. He walked to his father's side and said hello at his father's urging.

"You two are brothers," Aunt Lauren said.

She didn't ask a question, but it was still implied. She was wondering why they didn't look the same. I almost laughed at her for not making the same realization I had.

"He has black hair. Like his dad," I said. Aunt Lauren looked at me and I explained how Derek and Simon looked like their dad but not each other. Her eyes widened and she snapped at me, telling me to apologize, and then apologizing herself before I could comprehend the situation. Did I do something wrong? I stared at Aunt Lauren, shocked, eyes flitting from her to Mr. Bae. Simon was currently informing me in his as a matter-of-factly tone from dinner that Derek was adopted. Mr. Bae had brought his hand down to rest on Simon's head to silence him. He was giving me the same look he had adorned at the table when I told him I had learned to sign my name for Derek's sake. He was studying me again.

Mr. Bae began to laugh and turned to my aunt. "One of the things I love about children," he said, "they're all color blind. So, I believe we agreed on six?"

**So, I hope you guys liked it. And by the way, I wasn't trying to be racist or anything with Chloe thinking Kit, Derek, and Simon were all biologically related. I was trying to show how young she was, and I am a firm believer in what I had Kit say- that children are color blind. Not trying to be racist or anything I swear! Please don't blacklist me!**


End file.
